This weekend will be the first of three for summer games competition at the Iowa Games and as always volunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. Executive director Jim Hallihan says volunteers can choose when they want to be part of it. Hallihan says you can go the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau website and sign up for a sport to volunteer in. Hallihan says volunteers are needed in several areas, for registration, opening ceremonies, for the different sports. Hallihan says if it fits into your schedule you can pick just one weekend to help. He says the big weekend for volunteers is the July 17-19. The first full weekend of competition begins on Saturday. He says it’s the first time they’ve had a weekend prior to the start of the games. They have baseball, billiards and, sand volleyball, handball and some shooting events this weekend. Hallihan says about 1,700 runners are expected to take part in the Midnight Madness race Saturday. Sunday they are doing a triatholon at Don Williams Lake in Ogdon. He says the numbers have doubled to over 400 participants for the triathlon.
Iowa Games competition gets underway
Iowa Department for the Blind expanding outreach
Department director Karen Keninger says some 69,000 Iowans are blind or visually impaired — but many don’t know about the help that is available. "Unfortunately, we are a well kept secret. We didn’t mean it to be that way, but the fact is, that a lot of people who live in this state don’t know that we’re out there to help their employees, and their neighbors and their friends and their family members that have vision loss problems, to help them to do the things that they need to do," Keninger says. Keninger says the federal funding will allow them to reach out more by expanding their field staff in Des Moines, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. She says they will hire new counselors and teachers to cover areas of the state where they have "been a little thin" the last couple of years as they dealt with budget issues. Kenninger says the hiring process is underway and will be completed soon. Keninger also unveiled a new logo for the department. Keninger says they knew they needed a different way to express their belief in the blind people of Iowa and their ability to achieve the freedom and independence that they deserve and desire. She says they also know they needed to communicate to blind people and the rest of the state the things they need to know about the department. Keninger says there are many success stories about blind Iowans who get training from the department and are able to get or hold jobs and be productive workers. The department says its 82% placement rate is the second in the nation for the number of blind or visually impaired people who are successfully employed. Keninger also unveiled a new public art exhibit at the department’s office that allows blind and visually impaired people to experience the art through touch. 
The Iowa Department for the Blind is using federal recovery funds for a new outreach program in hopes of becoming better known statewide.
Thrity-five dogs seized in fighting ring held at animal shelter
Nearly three-dozen dogs that were seized in this week’s sting of a dog-fighting ring are now being housed in Des Moines. Four locations in Iowa were raided and the U.S. Marshals Service turned over all 35 pit bulls captured to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Tom Colvin, the shelter’s executive director, says they’re obligated to take the dogs, but it’s a strain on room and resources. "This definitely puts us in a bind," Colvin says. "This takes about half of our kennels that we have available. As you can imagine, if you’re going to house pit bulls, they need to be housed alone, single to a kennel." The 35 dogs seized in Iowa and were among 350 animals captured in five states during what’s believed to be the largest single crackdown on American dog-fighting rings. Four Iowans were among those arrested. Since the pit bulls were allegedly used in dog fights, Colvin says they’re having to handle them carefully. "Each dog that comes to the Animal Rescue League with unknown background, from any source, we have to be very cautious that they don’t come in contact with other dogs until we make sure what their temperament is," Colvin says. "Typically, we’re going to be taking a lot of precautions but on these? Yes, we have extra concern." Since space is such an issue at the animal shelter, Colvin says other abandoned animals will likely have to be displaced by the dogs that are part of the criminal investigation. If people would like to volunteer at the Animal Rescue League to help take care of the displaced dogs or help with any resources, contact Colvin via the website "www.arl-iowa.org". The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is a nonprofit organization, the state’s largest animal shelter, and last year served more than 19,000 animals from all corners of the state.
9-1-1 calls released in Parkersburg shooting
State investigators today released recordings of five of the 11 calls placed to the Butler County 9-1-1 emergency response system on the morning that Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas was shot to death in the school’s makeshift weight-training room.
A dispatcher was clearly shocked to hear the victim’s name when an employee of the school, Daryl Myers, relayed the information.
"We had a shooting right now in the bus barn down at the high school," Myers said. The dispatcher replied, "Do you know who it was?" Myers reported that kids were running out and said that someone shot Ed Thomas. "Ed Tho-" the dispatcher said and then composed herself, "All right, we’ll get someone right there."
The shooting, witnessed by around 20 students, took place at 7:47 a.m on June 24th. At 7:56 a.m., Leah Vanderholt called 9-1-1 from a home across the street from the school and was concerned with the lack of medical response. "We can see the building right now and all we see is the police Blazer. We don’t see any ambulances. We don’t see anything," Vanderholt said. The dispatcher replied, "The ambulance is on the way right now. They had a hard time getting a crew. But they are on the way, we also have paramedics that have been in route for about 10 minutes."
The other three tapes released today contained little information, except Parkersburg Police Chief Chris Luhring asking about a helicopter that was on its way from a Waterloo Hospital. Authorities say they are not releasing six other 9-1-1 tapes because they contain "information that is part of the ongoing criminal investigation."
A former Aplington-Parkersburg football player, 24-year-old Mark Becker, was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. Becker pleaded not guilty last week. His trial is scheduled for September 15th.
AUDIO: 9-1-1 calls from Butler County following Ed Thomas shooting 1:32 MP3
Tractors toppled, trees down in storms
Cedar Falls Battalion Fire Chief Larry Burman says straight-line winds caused a lot of damage when the storm rolled through around 4 A.M. Chief Burman says, "There’s a major amount of trees down, lots of wires down, a couple of buildings actually blown down, garages, and a lot of damage from trees falling on structures and a lot of damage from trees falling on vehicles." Burman says there’s major damage in a large area of the city, mainly a perimeter from the University of Northern Iowa campus east to the Cedar Falls-Waterloo boundary and north to the Cedar River, and sporadic damage in the other parts of town. A spokesman for Cedar Falls Utilities says power was restored to about half of the company’s 7,000 affected customers by 7 A.M., while MidAmerican Energy was still reporting nearly 3,200 customers were without power at 9 A.M. Burman says the downed trees and power lines are creating problems for motorists in Cedar Falls. He says about 40% of the roads in the impacted area are closed due to storm debris and some may not even be cleared by sundown. The National Weather Service clocked wind gusts as high as 60-miles per hour near the Waterloo Regional Airport. An air traffic controller reported bent hangar doors and a helicopter blown into a fence. The high winds blew over at least two semis on U.S. Highway 218 — one near George Wyth State Park and the other north of Cedar Falls. Burman says one of the drivers was transported to the hospital with minor injuries after fire crews pulled him from his overturned cab. The injured driver was having back and arm pain. Forecasters say showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue across much of the state today, before coming to an end tonight. Strong storms dropped two inches of rain in less than an hour on Fayette County in northeast Iowa to go with heavy wind damage. The Fayette County Sheriff says the west-central part of the county was the hardest hit by strong winds. The Sheriff took 24 calls of downed trees and power lines, along with damaged buildings. An unoccupied mobile home was blown across a road and the roofs of several barns and other buildings were torn off. A tractor flipped over near Westgate, and there was damage in the Randalia area. Several homes sustained damage and at least one garage was knocked over, and thousands of acres of crops were flattened. No one was injured. (photo provided by Fayette County Sheriff’s Department) (House photo courtesy Cory Ford, KCRR) 
Clean-up is underway in Cedar Falls after a powerful early-morning thunderstorm left a trail of destruction and much of the city without power.
He warns residents to stay away from downed power lines and not to try to untangle tree limbs that are caught in wires. "It’s a dangerous situation," he says. The storm left more than 15,000 homes and businesses in Cedar Falls, Waterloo and outlying areas without power.
Report gives Iowa good marks for handling stimulus dollars
A new government report gives Iowa high marks in its handling of federal stimulus dollars. Iowa is expected to receive about $2.5 billion of the more than $700 billion federal stimulus package approved in February. The U.S. Government Accountability Office is an independent, non-partisan Congressional agency. The G.A.O. is analyzing how 16 states, including Iowa, manage stimulus dollars. Lisa Shames is heading up the agency’s Iowa division. "We found that Iowa has a foundation of safeguards to help ensure the funds are being spent in the way that they were intended and to minimize the fraud, waste and abuse," Shames said. The G.A.O. report also praises Iowa for setting up an Accountability and Transparency Board. "We found that there were many good features in place and that bodes well in terms of the Recovery Act dollars and to ensure that they’re going to create the jobs and retain the jobs that the law intended," Shames said. Iowa was chosen as one of the states to analyze because it represents the country’s rural interests. Shames says Iowa has either allocated or disbursed more than 90% of funds to be used for Medicaid and highway improvements.
Grassley says climate change bill may not get a vote in Senate this year
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts controversial climate change legislation passed by the U.S. House may not come before the Senate at all this year. Iowa utilities launched a lobbying campaign against the bill, which critics say will push consumer prices up and drive American jobs overseas.
The bill sets limits on emissions of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhous gases. Grassley says as the cap-and-trade bill was winning passage in the House last month, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid was minimizing its chances in the Senate.
Grassley says, “He didn’t really say it wasn’t coming up this year, but when I look at the rest of July until August 8th and then everything after Labor Day, including Thanksgiving and then Christmas, we only have about 15 to 17 weeks left this year.”
Grassley says Congress has a lot on its political plate. “So with health care reform, all of the appropriation bills and probably some banking regulatory reform, I don’t know that there would be time for it to come up even if we didn’t do some of those things.” Both Grassley and Democratic Iowa Senator Tom Harkin say the bill would disproportionately harm Midwestern states where coal is king.
Senator Harkin has arranged a meeting with the White House for officials with Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy to make their case against the bill.
